Following up from my article on Moving To Windows 7 this is an article for the enthusiasts who’ve got their Windows 7 RTM discs & will be deploying them across machines. Unlike Windows Vista, Windows 7 does not allow you to select the edition you want to install in the first few steps, it does not come in a ready-to-use All-in-One installation disc. Perhaps. Apparently sometime during the Windows 7 pre-RTM leak cycle some geniuses figured out a way to install versions other than Ultimate by editing a file. Here are the manual & one-click method to enable the SKU Edition Selector during Windows 7 install. And methods to create specific SKU discs from the ones you downloaded.

To Enable Edition Selector

The Automatic Method

Recommended. Tried. Tested. One-click (maybe two.)

Download eicfg Remover tool:

Extract it some where

Run the file eicfg_remover

Locate the Windows 7 ISO file & let the tool do the magic.

It will prompt you once done. Screenshot:

Doing this will show you the following screen when you use the disc for installation:

2. The Manual Method:

Extract the ISO in a directory

Navigate to Sources

Delete the file ei.cfg

To Create SKU Specific Discs

Alternately, you can configure the ISO to act as installation disc for any one of the SKUs. To do this:

1. The Automatic Method:

Download the ISO patcher

Extract it some where.

Run the file bin_patcher

Navigate to 7600.16385-disc_switch_patches (within the directory you extracted the files)

Select the SKU edition you want.

Locate the Windows 7 ISO file & let the tool do the magic.

It will prompt you once done.

2. The Manual Method:

Extract the ISO in a directory

Navigate to Sources

Open the file ei.cfg in Notepad

The contents of the file should be:

[EditionID]
Ultimate
[Channel]
Retail
[VL]
0

Edit Ultimate & choose any of the following depending on the SKU you want:

StarterHomeBasicHomePremiumProfessionalUltimate

Also, incase you’re planning to upgrade from Windows 7 RC (which you shouldn’t) you can do the following to enable it:

Extract the ISO in a directory

Navigate to Sources

Open the file ei.cfg in Notepad

The contents of the file should be:

[HostBuild]
MinClient=7233.0
MinServer=7100.0

Edit 7233.0 to 7100

Save the file & burn the disc.

NOTE: I will strongly recommend that you do NOT upgrade from RC to RTM.